


I Took a Week Off Work And My Brain Didn't Know What to Do With That, Clearly

by ObliqueOptimism



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: But Don't Worry It's Happy, Canonical Character Death, Gen, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, M/M, Not Beta Read
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-24
Updated: 2019-11-24
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:20:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21539662
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ObliqueOptimism/pseuds/ObliqueOptimism
Summary: Dave is shot and dies a week into Klaus' trip in Vietnam, when they're still barely more than just strangers. Somehow, it doesn't change a thing between them and the two still fall in love all the same, even with Dave being a ghost now.But it changes other things.
Relationships: Dave/Klaus Hargreeves
Comments: 41
Kudos: 525





	I Took a Week Off Work And My Brain Didn't Know What to Do With That, Clearly

**Author's Note:**

> so this is an idea i've had for _ages_ and wrote like 1/3 of it today because i wanted to get _get it done_. remus says it's good and i trust them. they also came up with the summary. i'm bad at summaries, they are not. thank you remus.

Dave had been in Vietnam for a while when he met Klaus. 

Klaus who appeared so suddenly in a bloody towel and fear in his eyes. 

Dave kept an eye on the guy at first, he seemed more shaken than most guys who were new to the scene (and where did he come from and where did he get that towel?). He made sure to introduce himself when he got the chance.

Klaus seemed very confused and out of his depth and, not to judge anyone, pretty queer. Not that it was a bad thing, Dave was pretty queer himself. 

They spoke sometimes, that first week. Nothing too deep or too much, Klaus lugged around a big black briefcase with him but wouldn’t open it and Dave didn’t pry too much. No, instead he gave Klaus some tips on how to survive the war. 

Dave could see himself becoming fast friends with Klaus. Maybe one day more.

And then a week to the day after meeting Klaus, Dave died.

It happens, from time to time during wars, that good people die.

Dave honestly wasn’t too surprised he died. He’d seen so many of his friends get shot or get an infection or decided to die by their own hand that he figured his chances of making it back home were slim.

The chance that the new guy could see his ghost after death was also slim.

But not slim enough.

“Aw, Dave,” Klaus frowned at him. 

Dave looked down at his chest where the gunshot could be seen, “Klaus?” He looked around and saw _a lot_ of his friends who had passed away before him. Franklin waved at him. “Did you die too?”

Klaus finished rolling a joint, “Nope.” He popped the ‘p’. “Just lucky enough to see punks like you.” Waggling his eyebrows he lit the joint and took a drag. 

“He doesn’t see us when he’s high,” Franklin commented, gesturing to Klaus. 

“Nothing against you two,” Klaus gestured to the two of them, “it’s all the other _bitches_.” 

Dave looked around and saw _so many dead_. Now that he noticed them he heard them. So many dead were around, wearing their wounds, yelling if they could. Men and women and children. Holes in them, bruises around necks, pieces missing. One poor sap was _melted_. As he had tried to walk through an area that was hot enough to melt a person. He wasn’t sure how he didn’t notice them before. Maybe he was still digesting the fact that he was dead.

He said a quick prayer.

“What was that?” Klaus pointed at Dave with his joint. “What you said? It sounds familiar.”

“It’s a prayer,” Dave answered.

Klaus raised his eyebrows, “Language?”

“Hebrew,” Dave shrugged.

“Ah yes! It’s been a while since I heard hebrew. Last was someone’s grandma or something and she liked to yell at me for being the dumb bitch that I am in yiddish. Boy, when she ganged up with my brother to get me to eat it was hard to say no,” Klaus chuckled sadly. 

“Your brother?” Dave asked.

“Ben. He’s not, y’know, here anymore,” Klaus waved a hand around, gesturing the area they were at. “And soon you won’t be either,” he waggled his eyebrows as he took another drag.

And slowly Dave saw the dead around him disappear. The horde went away first, then some of his friends and soon it was just him and Klaus. Klaus who kept giving him the side-eye. “What?”

“Why are you still here?” Klaus gestured at him, “I’m high. I know I am. No one else is here and trust me bud, I got more than a bit of weed happening right now but you’re still here?” He sounded pained and confused. “You should be gone? Everyone goes away but Ben and you aren’t Ben.”

“I uh, I don’t know?” Dave honestly didn’t. He could tell that the fact that Dave was still around bothered him. “I only just died and I don’t know what’s all happening.”

Klaus muttered something quietly to himself before letting out a big sigh, “Christ, fine. Hang out if you want but don’t expect me to entertain you.”

Dave was fine with that. Sure he liked Klaus and the last week he’d had fun whenever they hung out together but he was now a ghost, apparently, and that had some _implications_ he needed to think about. Sitting down near Klaus, he looked out over the jungle, now the only people he saw were the living ones. Some reason the drugs Klaus did affected him as well, which was interesting. Was he real? Was he really a ghost? Or just an extension of Klaus’s mind? Or was this all one big dream?

“You’re handling this well,” Klaus eyed him, boldly staring at him. Thinking back, he’d seen Klaus once in a while stare at things that weren’t there or talk to the air beside him. He’d assumed Klaus was high whenever he did this but if what Klaus was currently saying was the truth he obviously hadn’t always been high.

“Well, it’s not like expected to survive the war,” Dave shrugged. “So the death thing isn’t much of a surprise. You being able to see the dead is a little more of a surprise but we haven't known each other long so I shouldn’t have assumed you _couldn’t_ see the dead. Sorry I assumed as much.”

For a second Klaus looked confused, then he burst out laughing, “I don’t think anyone has apologized for assuming I couldn’t see the dead. No one living and no one dead. Thanks, dude, I needed a good laugh.”

“Of course,” Dave smiled. “Glad I could be of service.” He went to nudge Klaus with his shoulder in a friendly manner but instead fell through him. 

“Yeah, no touching,” Klaus said. “Thank Christ.”

They settled into a mostly companionable silence after that. Dave thought more on the state of things and sometimes Klaus would say whatever was on his mind. Dave wasn’t sure what all the other man was on, but he said some pretty crazy shit. Little comments and stories and time travel.

“Yeah, no, that’s real,” Klaus mumbled. “Time travel. Not sure how it works, just opened the thing and surprise! It’s the Vietnam war! Sorry, Klausy, no time to heal from the torture you’d just endured, go get your gun and make more of your ghost posse.” 

“Torture?” Dave asked, thinking back to when he first saw Klaus. Some of the guys had thought he was a POW who escaped and found them. There had been signs of torture but he never spoke of it. He’d surely had let someone know if he’d been a prisoner?

“Sure. They wanted to find my brother. Not Ben. Ben was with me. He was always with me,” Klaus sounded gutted. As if the fact that Ben was no longer around was beyond words that could convey how sad he was. “Just glad they did the type of torture they did. Previous guy had jumper cables attached to his nipples. Rough way to go. At least with the beatings and strangling and waterboarding I didn’t die. Not that I don’t mind a good ol’ _shock_ to the system, but usually that's to restart my heart and not stop it.”

Dave was without words. How much of what Klaus said was true was unknown but considering Dave was a ghost it seemed that time travel, maybe, was possible. That added with Klaus confirming the prisoner theory, or at least to torture. On top of that he’d probably seen previous victims of his torturers. That couldn’t have been pleasant, “That couldn’t have been pleasant.”

Klaus snorted, “Understatement.”

And then some of the squad came to check in on Klaus. Dave stayed as silent as he could, not wanting Klaus to respond while others were around. They maybe wouldn’t believe the ghost things as easily. (It was a little easy to accept when you were a ghost yourself.) But once in a while Dave couldn’t help but roll his eyes or give a sarcastic response.

Klaus seemed a pro at not responding or acknowledging him around others. He did sometimes share a look with him though. 

It didn’t take long for them to realize that for some reason, Dave just never went away like the other ghosts did. So Dave became Klaus’s companion, by his side and giving advice and tips and was more than willing to watch Klaus’s six or to scout ahead. 

Dave found out that the only other ghost who never went away was Klaus’s brother Ben. But Ben was stuck in the future. Klaus and Ben had figured that the reason why Ben was always around was because they were brothers, or the fact that Ben had powers, or maybe the monster that lived inside Ben wasn’t dead like he was so he wasn’t fully a ghost. 

But none of that explained why Dave was always around. They’d only known each other a week before he died so there wasn’t a familiar bond, as far as Dave knew he didn’t have powers, and Dave was certain he didn’t have an interdimensional monster living his stomach. 

“Maybe we have some sort of bond?” Dave wondered one day. He’d been dead a month. “Like fate has made it so that I haven’t moved on and that you see me no matter how fucked up you get?”

Klaus scoffed, “Fate? The hell does fate have to do with anything? I’m not fate’s play thing.”

“I’m not saying you are, but maybe there is something there? Maybe I’m fate’s play thing, not you,” Dave suggested. “Maybe I’m here to help you. Could be here to help you survive the war and get back home? To your time?”

Klaus hummed in thought, “I mean the apocalypse is happening, so maybe?”

“I’m sorry, _what was that?_ ”

“My brother Five time traveled some and said that the apocalypse was nigh,” Klaus waved his hand as if belittling the _apocalypse_.

“So, possibly, fate is keeping me around to make sure you survive to get back to the future to literally save the future,” Dave thought that was a good theory. 

“I don’t think I’ll be much help stopping the apocalypse, honestly,” Klaus swallowed a pill. “I’m just a junkie, afterall.”

“I’ve known you for a little more than a month, Klaus,” Dave said, being sure he had Klaus’s full attention, “and you are _so much more_ than a junkie.”

If Dave was honest, he was starting to get feelings for Klaus. 

Romantic feelings.

Sexual feelings.

Could ghosts grow as people? He was finding out.

But since he’d been following Klaus around he saw how he truly was, not just the mask he put on for others. He saw how kind he was, always trying to help out the others of the 173rd. How brave he was, never backing down from a fight. How haunted he was, not just by actual ghosts but by his past. It was obvious that he had issues from his childhood. From what he’d gathered a lot of it dealt with his father.

Dave hoped that one day he’d run into him.

So he could punch that mother fucker square in the face.

And then the 173rd got some R&R and he followed Klaus around Saigon and the market and the bars. As Klaus got more drunk, he spoke more to Dave in public, so Dave was sure to steer him towards a back room in the bar, behind a beaded curtain. He could tell that Klaus wanted to talk to him. He’d opened up a lot more over the last couple months, sharing more of his thoughts with Dave. 

Klaus put his drink down on a side table in the small room and stared deep into Dave’s eyes, “Dave, I really want to kiss you right now.”

Dave swallowed. They’d never talked about how Klaus was obviously queer, not in any depth beyond some of his stories. And they’d never discussed Dave’s queerness. 

“Shit, Klaus,” Dave whispered, “I wish I could--”

“What Dave?” Klaus leaned against the wall.

“I wish I could kiss you and hold you and, fuck Klaus, you deserve to be treated right,” Dave leaned in as far as he dared. He’d often accidentally reached out for Klaus only to fall through him. 

But he _wished_.

It ached, how much he _wanted_.

“And you’d treat me right?” a smiled played at Klaus’s lips.

“If you’d let me.”

That night was a change in their relationship.

They both fell fast and hard for each other.

“Maybe I’m here not just to keep you alive, but because we’re soulmates?” Dave wondered, many months later. They’d gotten so close, as close as they could. It seemed crazy to Dave that he fell so deeply in love after he’d died. Fate was a bit of a bitch like that.

Klaus burst out laughing, “Dave? Soulmates?”

“Explains why you always see me, right? My soul?” Dave pointed out, it made sense to him. They’d recently told each other they loved one another. Klaus had wondered recently if he could make Dave physical but he hadn’t been able to yet. Dave figured it was because of the drugs. As Klaus’s powers were dimmed (almost non-existent) when on drugs it made sense that even though he saw Dave while high, he wouldn’t be able to manifest him. 

(“Once, in the mausoleum, I think I made them real,” Klaus had whispered to him. “They _touched_ me.”

Dave oh so wanted to hold Klaus close that night.)

“You’re soul?” Klaus smiled, “I don’t see you’re soul. I just see you, my dear.”

Dave grinned. It was amazing how romantic Klaus could be with a ghost in the middle of the Vietnam war. 

After a Bad Day where a number of the 173rd died, Dave talked Klaus into carrying around the time machine with him to the frontlines.

“I don’t even know if it will work!” Klaus had argued. “I haven't opened it since I showed up. I don’t know where it will take me next. I only know it will take me away from you!”

“What if you get shot huh?! And like with me, no medics around! You could go back home and get the help you need!” Dave yelled back.

“But if I died here we could be together! For real! That would be nice, wouldn’t it?” Klaus’s voice broke.

“Klaus, I don’t want you to die,” Dave whispered. “Please, don’t die if you can’t help it. It wouldn’t-- _please_. I want to be with you, of course I do, but I don’t want you to die.”

Klaus took a deep breath, appearing to think things through, ‘Okay. Okay, Dave. I’ll carry the case around with me.”

Thank God he talked Klaus into carrying the case around.

Ten months in, Klaus was on the frontlines and he got shot. 

Dave hovered over him, “Klaus! sunshine, please, darling!”

“D-Dave?” Klaus’s voice broke.

“Get your briefcase, please, dear. _Please_ ,” Dave leaned, hoping his love wouldn’t die but go to the future. Dave would either travel with him or wait and meet up with him fifty years in the future. He wasn’t going to leave Klaus alone.

Klaus’s hand reached though Dave and reached towards the briefcase. His hands shook as he clicked the latches. Dave had to redirect Klaus a few times when Klaus seemed taken away in pain. Dave didn’t -- couldn’t deal with Klaus dying. 

Before Klaus opened the briefcase, he looked directly at Dave, “Listen--”

“No, you listen!” Dave implored, “You’ve been shot, you open that now and get help in the future. I will find you, I promise you, angel. I promise.”

Klaus nodded and as he opened the case, Dave reached out and somehow made connection. Somehow went with him. Somehow ended up on a bus driving down a busy street. Thank god for _somehow_.

After a second’s pause the others on the bus reacted. The woman across from Klaus screamed, the bus driver yelled back frantically, and much of Dave’s relief, a man who claimed he was a doctor came towards Klaus.

Dave wasn’t sure how he managed to hold on and travel with Klaus, but was relieved to be by his side still. He needed to see Klaus get the medical help he needed and he wasn’t keen on waiting around for fifty years to find out how it went.

He would have waited though.

“Klaus? Christ!” A man in a hoodie appeared and knelt beside him.

“H-Hey Ben,” Klaus smiled at Ben, ignoring the doctor trying to help him. He wasn’t answering the questions posed by the stranger (like how he got shot while riding a bus).

Ben spared a glance at Dave, probably noticing he was shot in nearly the same place and wearing the same clothes as Klaus and his face set just as worried as Ben’s. Ben then repeated the questions the doctor asked, getting Klaus to answer then, not that he made sense. Well, he did make sense, it just wasn’t believable. 

He spoke of the war and time travel, not trying to come up with lies for Ben. He knew Ben would believe him, the doctor on the other hand tried to hush him once he realized he wouldn’t get ‘real’ answers. 

Soon the bus stopped in front of a hospital and the driver went in to get help while the doctor continued to do his part for Klaus.

Dave was so glad there was a doctor on the bus.

Sooner than he was prepared for, Klaus was rushed off into surgery and he was left alone with Ben. 

Ben who, once Klaus was under anesthesia, turned to Dave. “Who the fuck are you?” He sounded suspicious. Not that Dave would blame him, from Ben’s point of view, Klaus had just been tortured then disappeared for a few hours to show up not only with another ghost but a gunshot.

“I’m Dave, Klaus’s boyfriend,” Dave said. “It’s nice to meet you, Ben. Heard a lot about you.”

“But you’re dead,” Ben pointed at Dave’s own injury.

“Sure am. But not sure what that has to do with anything,” Dave shrugged. “You’re dead too.”

Ben sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose for a second before narrowing his eyes, “Klaus is dating a ghost? How did he get shot? Where has he been? How are you around? He’s high!”

Dave sat down in a chair and gestured for Ben to do the same before giving him a brief synopsis of what Klaus had been through. He didn’t want to go into too many details without Klaus there. Didn’t want to betray his trust. Sure, Klaus always said he didn’t hide anything from Ben, but he couldn’t betray Klaus and say too much. A lot had happened in the ten months Klaus was in ‘Nam.

Nearing the end of his story, Ben got sidetracked, “Vanya?”

Dave saw a shorter woman and a frumpy man walk in and ask after Klaus before they sat down not too far from Ben and himself.

Hours passed before Vanya (and her weird boyfriend who Dave didn’t like the look of) was able to go see Klaus, Ben and Dave following behind her. The four of them waited in the room for Klaus to wake up. Vanya and her boyfriend were being very quiet, the boyfriend often acting like was going to say something to her before seeing how worried she looked.

Dave was just so glad that Klaus was still alive, “I had told him to bring the time machine with him, I didn’t want him to die like I did. We were at the front -- he was at the front. No medic would’ve made it to him, and even if they did--” Dave sighed. 

“Thank you,” Ben said. “For making sure he came home.”

“I was trying to get him to go home earlier but he didn’t want to leave me,” Dave whispered. “It’s my fault he almost died. He stayed for me.”

“He could’ve left before he really knew you,” Ben pointed out. “You weren’t the only reason he stayed.”

“He wasn’t sure how the briefcase worked,” Dave shrugged. “That was the reason at first. He was worried where it would take him next. Thank God it took him home.” He said a quick prayer in thanks.

“Dave?” Klaus’s voice sounded weak and when Dave looked at him he seemed to be having trouble opening his eyes.

“Hey Klaus,” Vanya said, leaning forward. “It’s Vanya.”

Klaus’s head rolled towards her, “Vanya? You’re not Dave.”

“No, she’s not me,” Dave smiled. 

“Oh hey! Dave’s here! And Ben!” Klaus grinned, clearly not feeling any pain. “And Vanya! The gangs all here. Who’re you? You’re not in my gang.”

“I’ll go get a doctor,” Leonard said, standing up and exiting the room.

“Klaus,” Vanya took his hand, “do you remember what happened?”

“Sure, sure,” he nodded, “‘Nam, guns, _pew pew_ , Dave telling me to time travel, then it’s the gang!”

“What does that mean? ‘’Nam’? Vietnam?” Vanya pressed. “Time travel?”

“Yup. Took the thingy from Cha Cha n’ Hazel,” Klaus whispered as if it was a secret. “I’m glad you’re here, Van. I missed you. Glad I made you my one phone call.”

“You’re in the hospital, not jail,” Vanya seemed almost bemused.

“Yeah, no. The next of kin shit. Y’know, who you gonna call? Ghostbusters! I could use some ghostbusters.” Klaus turned to Dave and Ben, “No offense.”

“None taken,” Dave smiled at him.

“Klaus, you were shot,” Vanya was very serious.

“And here you are! My favorite living sibling,” Klaus reached out to her and made a grabbing motion.

“They have you on some good pain killers, huh?” Vanya murmured.

“I hope so, I was shot you know,” Klaus said, almost sounding serious. “But you know I can handle my drugs. Do you not think you’re my favorite?” 

“I’m no one’s favorite,” Vanya said. “It’s fine.”

“Ben, tell her! We’ve talked about it! She’s my favorite,” Klaus gestured at Ben.

“She can’t hear me, Klaus,” Ben said. 

“I won’t be able to hear him,” Vanya repeated.

Klaus giggled, “That’s why! You believe me. No one ever believes me, sister mine. _But you do_.”

The doctor and Leonard came in and spoke to Klaus about his injury, trying to find out how he was shot. Klaus stuck to the truth. Dave was watching Vanya during the conversation. As Klaus continued to claim he was shot at war and he time traveled, Vanya seemed to start to believe him. Even though Klaus had just said she was always there for him, Dave was impressed. He was a ghost who could only be seen by Klaus and he was having a hard time trusting the truth, that his boyfriend was a time traveling medium. It seemed crazy. 

As soon as the doctor left, Klaus reached out to Vanya, “I’m going to sign out AMA before more than my two best ghosties show up and--”

“You were just shot,” Vanya protested.

Klaus waved his hand in the air at Vanya as her boyfriend frowned. 

“Vanya, we shouldn’t let him. He needs to be in the hospital, we need to leave him here,” Leonard said. He gripped Vanya’s shoulders tightly. Dave didn’t like the look of it.

“Hey!” Klaus glared at Leonard, “Christ you’re rude. I’m going to sign myself out with or without your permission. For one, you are a stranger! For two, I was talking to my _sister_. For three, I don’t have a three.” 

“You can heal just as well at home with mom watching over you,” Ben suggested.

Klaus pointed at him, “Yes. I’ll also be more comfortable in that hell hole. At least I know all the ghosts there. Or at Vanya’s.” He turned to her, “Your place has only one ghost you know. A nice old lady who gives me knitting tips. She likes your music by the way. And I have to agree with her, my dear. Just lovely, like you!” He clapped his hands.

“Think you can wait at least a day before leaving? 24 hours here in the hospital? I can be by your side the whole time.”

“Vanya, no, we have my grandma’s cabin, remember?” Leonard tried, putting a hand on her shoulder. 

She shook off his hand, “I think my brother being shot after time traveling is more important than you thinking I have-- than your grandma’s cabin. Why don’t you go home? You shouldn’t wait here with me. You’ve got your shop and your own life.”

Dave didn’t like how mad Leonard looked, how his fists clenched. “Fine.” Standing stiffly he left the room, muttering about a book and powers and stupid junkies. 

“I do not like him,” Dave said as Ben nodded in agreement.

“Yeah, I got a lot of red flags off that dude,” Klaus added.

“What?” Vanya asked, holding his hand tighter.

“Your boy? Lots of red flags for like, abusive and manipulative relationship. Not saying it’s true, but like, flags. I know ‘em well. Been in a lot of bad relash’es. Got to look for those warning signs before they like, beat the shit out of you and like break the tiles in the bathroom shower with your head and then leave you there while they go to bang some other junkie slut.” Klaus barked out a laugh, not seeing all the sad faces around him. “But I got Dave now. He’d never do that to me. Partially because he literally can’t.”

“Who?” Vanya looked like she was trying to not cry. “You’ve mentioned a Dave some.”

Klaus pointed to him, “Dave, meet Vanya. Vanya, meet Dave. He’s the one sitting next to Ben. He’s my dead boyfriend. Best and longest relationship I’ve ever been in. He’s such a sap, _he thinks we’re soulmates._ ” He laughed.

Ben shot Dave a look and Dave shrugged, “Why else can he see me when he’s high?”

Ben didn’t seem to have an answer for him.

“Since we’re staying here for the next 24 hours, I’m going to step out and call the rest of the family, okay?” Vanya asked.

“Oh hey, tell Five he can suck my dick. His friends tortured me for hours. Also tell Five I love him and I have a briefcase he wants. Maybe? Babes, where did we leave that?” Klaus turned to Dave.

“On the bus. You were kind of busy dying and I couldn’t pick it up,” Dave shrugged. He apparently had some grip not too long ago, able to hold onto Klaus and time travel, but it didn’t last. No way could he have picked up the briefcase. And honestly? He hadn’t even spared a thought about it.

“Nevermind, Van. Don’t tell Five I have a briefcase but a bus does. He’ll probably freak out about it and want it,” Klaus tried to shrug.

Vanya nodded slowly, “Okay? I’ll pass that along.”

After she left Klaus turned to Dave and Ben. His voice was soft when he said, “Ben, I missed you. Not sure if Dave told you, time travel, ten months, Vietnam war.”

“He told me some when you were in surgery,” Ben replied. “I missed you too. It’s only been a couple hours, but I was so scared for you, I didn’t know what happened.”

“I’m sorry,” Klaus frowned then yawned.

“Go on and go to sleep, we’re both be here when you wake up, Klaus,” Dave said.

Klaus nodded and let himself fall asleep. 

Vanya walked in after a few minutes and gave a worried look to Klaus as she sat down next to him. Grabbing his hand, she looked like she might start crying. “Ben? Dave? I don’t know for sure if you’re real, I hope so, for his sake. But thank you both for watching out for him. I don’t know how much of his story he’s been saying it true or how much is the drugs talking, but I know you both helped him. Also, Dave, I’m glad to hear you wouldn’t hurt Klaus. It sounded like his abuse story was something he experienced and I don’t--” She sighed and let the sentence hang.

Dave turned to Ben and raised his eyebrows, expecting an answer.

“That particular one was named Tom,” Ben said quietly, leaning back and crossing his arms. “I’ve kept his exes straight, warn him if he ends up near them at a party or on the street. Or if there was a john who was too rough, I’d remember that john and do my best to keep him away from them again.”

“Thank you,” Dave said. “I don’t know how often he thanked you, but _thank you_.”

Ben shrugged, “He needed me, it wasn’t always pretty -- _it usually wasn’t pretty_ , but he needed me. I couldn’t leave him.” He ran a hand through his hair, “He’s so stupid.” He sounded fond.

Dave grinned, “An absolute idiot.”

It didn’t take long for a small kid to suddenly appear in the room. Dave figured it was Five, based on what Klaus had told him. 

Vanya had jumped and Dave noticed a few items in the room shook as she gasped. Five ignored her and frowned at Klaus, “What exactly did he say about the briefcase?”

“It’s on a bus,” Vanya answered. “Did those people who shot up the house-- did they really take him?”

Five sat down next to her and crossed his arms, “I wouldn’t be surprised. I’m more surprised that he survived them, let alone took their briefcase. It’s _impressive_ if true.”

“So, the briefcases really do time travel?” Vanya spoke slowly, trying to wrap her mind around the idea. “He said he got shot in the Vietnam war.”

“Fuck,” Five swore. “ _Vietnam?_ ”

“I’m not there, right?” Klaus asked grogerly. “The drugs I’m on are _way_ better than what I could get in the med tent.” He turned his head and smiled, “Five! Hello. Did Vanya tell you I have a ghost boyfriend. He’s hot.”

Five’s eyebrows rose as Dave sniggered, “She did not.”

Klaus blew a raspberry at him.

“I don't think Five’s here to talk about me, sweetheart,” Dave said. “Probably wants to talk about time travel.”

“Time travel is a bunch of bull _shit_. Why did you ever want to do it? Teleportation is cool enough, Five.” Klaus then giggled and held out his hand, “Hey, hey, Five. Give me five.”

Five sighed and proceed to give the most clinical high five Dave had ever seen.

“He’s going to be in the hospital for at least the next 24 hours--” Vanya started.

“At most, you mean,” Klaus interrupted. “Then I’m going home and mom can take care of me.”

Five frowned at that, “No she can’t. The night that Cha Cha and Hazel took you, they-- she’s dead.”

Klaus blinked owlishly, “She’s a robot, Five. She can’t die? Pogo can fix her. Right?” He looked back to his sister, sounding hopeful, “Right? He can fix her?”

“I don’t know, Klaus,” Vanya put her hand on his arm.

“Aw shit,” Klaus’s voice wavered.

“Hey,” Ben said, catching Klaus’s attention, “I’m sure Pogo can fix her. He’s always fixed her before. Remember when Luther accidentally hurt her? She’ll be down for a few days but I bet she’ll be up and running before you.”

“You think so?”

“I do.”

Dave glanced at the other two siblings. It looked like Vanya was trying to see what Klaus was, wanting to see her brother. Five meanwhile, gave Klaus a calculating look.

“Who is here right now?”

“Ben and Dave. I’m so lucky,” Klaus smiled.

“But you’re high, I thought your powers didn’t work when you’re high?” Five questioned.

“So high! But for some reason these two losers don’t want to leave the popular table,” Klaus shrugged.

After a few more minutes, the door to Klaus’ room opened and the rest of the Hargreeves entered the room, followed by a nurse yelling, “One visitor at a time! He just got out of surgery!”

Klaus waved at them, “The Gucci Gang’s all here!”

“You got shot?” Luther said, ignoring the nurse.

“Who shot you? Which bastard did it?” Diego demanded. “I’ll make sure he pays.”

“Are you okay?” Allison asked. 

Klaus turned to Vanya, “They’re so worried!”

She looked vaguely amused, “Of course they are.”

“It’s weird,” Klaus shrugged.

The nurse glared at all of them, “One visitor at a time! The rest of you wait outside.”

“Rumor her to let us stay here,” Diego said.

“No!”

Luther sighed, taking the nurse to the side and asking about donating some money to the hospital and who he would talk to if he wanted to do that. Dave was almost impressed with the manipulative gesture, wondering if donating would make it so that they could all stay in Klaus’s room at once. 

Diego went to sit down when Klaus exclaimed, “Don’t sit on Dave!”

“Who the fuck is Dave?” Diego said, pausing in front of the chair Dave was in.

“His dead boyfriend he met in the Vietnam War,” Vanya said hesitantly. “I think? Getting the whole story out of him right now has been difficult.”

“I love him so much,” Klaus said. “More than I love myself. Or drugs, I think.” He turned to Dave, “I like you more than heroin.”

“I’m honored, sunshine,” Dave smiled.

Klaus beamed at him.

Eventually everyone sat down, Dave and Ben moving to sit beside Klaus on the bed so there were enough chairs. Luther had left and come back, muttering something about feeling bad about bribery. Allison pointed out while it was bribing, it was at least bribing a hospital, so the money would be used to help people.

It didn’t take long for Klaus to fall asleep again. Five had teleported away, looking for the time travel device. The other siblings stayed in the room, not talking much.

“It’s sad,” Dave said to Ben. “They’re basically strangers. If this was my family? The conversation would be flowing.”

Ben shrugged, “We didn’t all keep in touch. After my death everyone went separate ways and most wanted nothing to do with the trauma of the Academy -- which meant each other.”

“Well everyone’s here now. Supporting Klaus,” Dave said. “That’s important.”

“It’s the first time they’ve all been together for Klaus in years,” Ben said. “His first overdose they all came together at the hospital. The next few the number dwindled. Soon it just became Vanya. Sometimes Diego would come if she called him, but a few years ago he had yelled at her in the hallway and told her to stop letting him know. He couldn’t handle seeing Klaus like that anymore. He still showed up sometimes, after that. Over hearing on his radio. But mostly it’s been us and Vanya.”

Dave was gutted. Sure it must have been hard for the family to see Klaus OD so often, but to give up on him? It hurt to hear that they would do that. “What’s so different this time?”

“He was shot,” Ben shrugged. 

“As long as he’s in the hospital it shouldn’t matter why he was put there. He deserves them to be there for it no matter what.” Dave did not approve of them doing this. “Vanya is my favorite.”

Ben laughed. “Yeah, mine too.”

Before too long, the 24 hours in a hospital was up. Klaus made sure, he kept an eye on the clock and didn’t listen when Vanya tried to convince him it hadn’t been 24 hours yet. 

“It wouldn’t be my first AMA,” Klaus said. 

“I know,” Vanya frowned at him.

“And like, I got drugs to keep the pain away,” Klaus commented.

“I would prefer if you didn’t--” Vanya whispered. “The hospital’s pain medicine would be better.”

 _”I don’t like it here,”_ Klaus whispered. “I’m leaving no matter what, Van. I’m sorry but I can’t stay here.”

In the end, he went home with Vanya. The others saying he could go back to the Academy. While their mother wasn’t around, Pogo was and he could help. Klaus, after so long only being able to rely on Vanya being there, was hesitant to go with them.

“Nah, Vanya’s my favorite. I’ll stay with her,” Klaus said. “Pogo can suck my dick. Last time he helped someone they uh--” he gestured to Luther, “did that.”

“That’s mean, apologize,” Dave scolded.

Rolling his eyes, Klaus said, “Sorry. That was rude.” He then turned to glare at Dave, “But the truth!”

So Klaus signed himself out AMA, the hospital gave him some potent pain medicine that Klaus gleefully accepted, and they made their way to Vanya’s. He didn’t put up much of an argument when she said he was going to hang out on her sofa but sleep in her bed at night. “You were just shot!” she’d stomped her foot and Dave noted the glass in the windows cracked.

“I saw it too,” Ben said, eyes wide.

“Klaus said she didn’t have powers,” Dave said slowly.

“She doesn’t,” Ben said.

“How sure are you on that?”

Ben didn’t reply.

Klaus got his pain medicine from the hospital, but Vanya couldn’t find her medication. Not even her hidden spare pills. 

Dave didn’t like that. He thought about Leonard and how he seemed so possessive of Vanya. He idly wondered if he had anything to do with this.

The apartment was shaking when she hung up with the pharmacy. They wouldn’t refill her prescription until the time was right. They were worried about her overdosing or selling the medication and wouldn't give her more until she was closer to her normal refill time.

“Want one of mine, Vanya dear?” Klaus shook his pill bottle.

She did not. But she did calm down after he offered, giving a laugh. The shaking had stopped.

“I don’t know if I’ve ever heard her laugh,” Ben mused.

Dave doubted that, “You’ve got to be kidding.”

“No,” Klaus said, giving Vanya a small smile. “Ben’s not kidding. Vanya, I love your laugh. It’s like angels from on high.”

“No, you’re the one who is high,” she snarked.

“Oh!” Klaus clapped. “You’re fun. _When did you become fun._ ”

The first day they were there, Leonard came by again. Apparently he had another violin lesson. Dave, Klaus, and Ben watched him carefully. None of them were comfortable. 

“He reminds me a bit of Carlos,” Ben muttered.

Dave frowned at Klaus’s full body shiver. He didn’t like the sound of this _Carlos_. 

“I’m going to follow him when he leaves,” Ben said. “I don’t trust him.”

Leonard kept glaring at Klaus. Whenever he did Klaus blew a kiss at him. 

Later, when Klaus was in bed and Dave laying beside him, Dave wished he could run his fingers through Klaus’s hair to help him fall asleep. It was obvious his pain medicine was wearing off, and he hadn’t had actual drugs since coming back a few days ago. His body was starting withdrawals but the pain meds were keeping them from being too bad. 

He knew Klaus wanted to get up and go to a dealer, but he physically couldn’t go. He really shouldn’t be out of the hospital. But Dave understood, he’d seen the ghosts in Vietnam. He understood why Klaus wouldn’t want to be in a hospital for long.

As they lay there, Klaus broke the silence, “Did you wait 50 years for me, babes? I’m sorry, I don’t remember you showing up on the bus.”

“No, I was trying to hold you as you were-- _as you were dying_. I know it was stupid, love, but I tried so hard to hold you. Somehow,” Dave shrugged, “I was able to. I think I was able to make a connection and I came with.”

“ _Like in the mausoleum?_ ”

“I think,” Dave started, “I think being shot sobered you up some. And through our _connection_ I was able to touch you.” He ran his hands through Klaus’s hair but he ghosted through as he _almost_ always had. “Sunshine, do you think we could see what could happen if you were sober? I just think that maybe-- I want to try to give you a hug.”

“Just a hug?” Klaus’s voice was quiet.

“We’d start there,” Dave laughed lightly. 

“I don’t know, Davey,” Klaus sighed. “I don’t know if I’m strong enough.”

“We can try,” Dave said. “I believe in you. And right now you have a prescription that will help with the withdrawals. It won’t be cold turkey. It’ll be safer.”

“Vanya’s going cold turkey on her’s for a bit. She’s got emotions,” Klaus smiled. “She laughed.”

Dave frowned, “Yeah, her pills suppressed her powers like your drugs to yours.”

“Um, no? Babes, she doesn’t have powers,” Klaus said.

“How long has she been on her medication?”

Klaus paused and thought about it, “God, wow. Ever since I can remember? That can’t be right.”

Dave’s eyebrows rose in surprise. He figured if they were actually suppressing her powers she would have been on them for a while but that was a long time. “And you think it’s out of the question that this medicine she’s always been on would hide her powers? You know it messes with yours.”

Klaus frowned, “ _Maybe_ it’s not out of the question. But dad wouldn’t do that, would he? Hide her powers? Let them be cut off?”

“Did he try to stop you?”

“I mean. At first, but he gave up quick,” Klaus shrugged. “Couldn’t hide anything in that house. Cameras, y’know?” Dave did not know and he didn’t like it. “Couldn’t hide helping myself to his alcohol when I was younger. And he made it clear he was _disappointed_ in me and other than a few times when he had mom search my room for drugs he just like, threw me in the mausoleum a lot. Hit me a few times. Y’know, the usual.”

Dave tried to hold Klaus tight, only going through him. It hurt, knowing that at times like this he couldn’t help Klaus more, couldn’t physically be there for him. He knew that sometimes he needed someone to lean on, and he wished he could do that for his boyfriend. He hated hearing about how Klaus was treated by his family, by his father. 

He wished he could show Klaus how much he really loved him. The full extent. 

If he were alive he would touch him and hold him close. Gently. Give him the love and care Klaus deserved but never got. Not just use him for sex, no being rough with him, never hit him. 

He knew Klaus was a tactile person. He’d seen how he reached out but no one ever reached back.

Dave wanted to reach back and never let go.

Before Dave could reply, Klaus had fallen asleep. 

The next time they saw Ben was after breakfast.

“We have a problem,” Ben’s hands were on his hips. He then glanced at Klaus, “You look like shit.”

“Fuck you, I’m going through withdrawls. Vanya and I both off our pills together,” Klaus said, giving her a smile as she sat down with a cup of coffee. 

“You just took your pain meds,” she said.

“You can help yourself if you want. Offer still stands,” Klaus replied.

“Oh yeah, that will be great. _’Vanya did you really just take your brother’s pain medicine after he was shot in the Vietnam War and time traveled back?’_ ” She rolled her eyes. 

“I’m proud of you for getting clean,” Dave said, trying but failing to kiss Klaus on the forehead. He got as close as he could kissed the air. The message came across.

Klaus beamed at him, “Thanks, boo!”

Vanya took a large drink of her coffee, “I don’t know what’s happening and I don’t care.”

Before Klaus could answer her, Ben dropped the news, “Leonard has a muder shrine and a body in his attic.” 

“I’m sorry, _what?_ ” Klaus said sharply.

“Sorry, let me explain. The murder shrine is to the Umbrella Academy,” Ben clarified.

“What the actual and living _fuck_ ,” Klaus said.

“What’s happening?” Vanya asked, giving Klaus her full attention.

“Uh, well. Ben followed your boy yesterday and there is a dead body and an Umbrella Academy murder shrine in his attic? Is the dead body a sibling?”

“I would have opened with that. Ghost lady says she’s Helen Cho. She says she has nothing to do with any of us. Doesn’t know anyone in the Academy,” Ben shrugged. 

“Well did you call the cops?” Klaus questioned.

Ben gave him _a look_ , “I’m dead.”

“Oh, right! Okay, so I’ll call the cops about this Helen Cho,” Klaus said. Turning to Vanya, “Where’s your phone?”

All the lights exploded, the coffee pot shattered, all glass cracked.

Klaus blinked, “Vanya, dear. I think Dave was right, you do have powers. Your uh, eyes are glowing white.”

She took some deep breaths and her eyes went back to normal, “Did you say Helen Cho?”

“You know her?” Klaus asking, sharing a glance with Ben. 

“I just got her chair in our orchestra,” Vanya’s hands were shaking. “I just got her job because she stopped showing up because Leonard killed her? Oh my god. _Oh my god_.”

Klaus got up and slowly went to her, the pain pill not working yet. He wrapped her in his arms, “Shh. It’s okay. I know right now you’re scared and this is a lot, but we’ve got this huh? So you almost dated a crazy murdering fan. I’m dating a dead guy. One is weirder than the other. And it’s mine. _I’m the weird one in this family._ When I was in prison the crazy murderers always had girlfriends on the outside.” 

She let out a pained noise.

“And Dave has a theory about your medication suppressing your powers that last night I thought was a wild conspiracy but now I’m thinking could be true.”

She pulled back, “We need to call the police.”

And so they did.

By the time the rest of the family showed up, Five was on the search for a man named Harold. Klaus was more than happy to tell him that was Leonard’s real name, apparently. 

“Really?” Five asked, blinking.

“Yup,” Klaus shrugged.

“You and Vanya both look like shit,” Five commented.

“We’re both exploring our powers,” Klaus shrugged. “Sue us, withdrawals are bitches.”

 _”I’m sorry, but_ what _did you just say?”_

“Well, I want to be held by my dead boyfriend so I’m getting clean so we can touch because Davey thinks it’s something I can do. After all he was able to grab me when we time traveled and there was that one time in the mausoleum when the ghosts there like, physically hurt me. And Vanya’s off her meds and can make stuff explode,” Klaus shrugged.

That had just brought up more questions. Klaus refused to explain the mausoleum, but Dave expected the rest to put the pieces together. 

In the end, Harold died in jail. Someone, Dave figured Five, killed him off camera. Vanya slowly got control of her powers. By the time she could refill her medicine she had some control and she explained how happy she was now. She hadn’t realized her medicine had not only shut off her powers but her feelings.

Meanwhile, Klaus was healing from his gunshot. Dave and Ben watched as he fought his cravings, but one morning, when he wasn’t doing well, he went to go get drugs. Dave understood, he knew it was hard for Klaus, he could see that. But he wanted his boyfriend sober and happy. Dave reached out, wanting to stop him, _and his hand wrapped around Klaus’s arm._

They stopped.

Dave was able to hold Klaus as he cried, run his fingers through Klaus’s hair as he shook through the craving, _be there for him like he always wanted._ He was never going to let go.

With support from Dave and his family, Klaus was able to get clean and sober. With that came Klaus learning his powers along side Vanya. Ben being able to talk to his family, Dave getting to meet them (and both Dave and Ben yelling at them at how they’ve been treating Klaus).

With the help of Klaus, Dave was able to hold his soulmate. Love him like he’d daydreamed about. All the little things he’d thought about: kissing Klaus’s nose in the morning light, washing Klaus’s hair in the shower while giving him gentle kisses, holding hands while they watched a movie, feeling Klaus’s heartbeat under his fingertips, holding Klaus so he knew he was safe and loved--

Dave was still dead, nothing could change that. But he was more alive than he’d ever been.

**Author's Note:**

> obliqueoptimsim @ tumblr


End file.
